Maritime Heritage

Florida's Gulf coast boasts 770 miles of coastline with many of the most beautiful beaches located on the northwest coast, not to mention the scenic fishable rivers, streams and canals. Florida’s water resources and transportation along them have influenced many aspects of our culture. In Florida, there are both prehistoric and historic sites located offshore and in rivers and sinkholes - from submerged Native American canoes to the remains of sunken steamboats and schooners.

Some of Florida’s most impressive maritime sites date from the Colonial Period, such as two ships from the first colonization attempt by Spaniard Tristán de Luna, today known as the Emanuel Point Shipwrecks located just off shore in Pensacola Bay. The site is the oldest European shipwreck known in Florida and the second oldest in the United States.

Lighthouses are another reminder that Florida’s history and development has been guided by the determination of seafarers and those brave enough to face the uncertainty of the sea. Learn more about the vital importance of these beacons for northwest Florida history by visiting one of the many preserved lighthouses and museums.

The Man in the Sea Museum illustrates early attempts to work underwater through interpretive drawings, dioramas and written records. The large collection of rare diving equipment highlights... Read More

In the spring of 1861, Confederate authorities dismantled and removed the first-order Fresnel lens from the 1859 Pensacola Lighthouse. During the Union bombardment of Pensacola in November... Read More